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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — help
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a hat
  11. charge — electricity
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — child
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com